Police dogs, handlers from across U.S. gather in Olathe, plan to showcase skills

Police K-9 teams from across the country are gathering in Olathe this week and will put on a public demonstration of the dogs' abilities Thursday night.

The national conference of the North American Police Work Dog Association, began Monday and continues until Friday, hosted by the Olathe Police Department, according to the group's event schedule. Police and their canine partners will train in specialties such as detecting narcotics, cadavers, explosives and evidence of arson, as well as police patrol scenarios and tactical techniques.

The group has worked since 1977 to train police work dog teams, establish standards through an accreditation program and improve the public image of K-9 units. No Douglas County law enforcement agencies have active K-9 units or were planning to attend the conference.

The public demonstration by the dogs and their handlers is scheduled at 7 p.m. Thursday night at the College Boulevard Activity Center, 11031 South Valley Pkwy, Olathe, free of charge. For more information, contact the Olathe Police Department at 913-971-7500.